Tracking stolen iPhone with pending Lost Mode due to disabled mobile data

Jayden_Larbi wrote:

Is there a way for them to turn off the phone ad factory reset it

That depends. If it was unlocked, and the thieves know the passcode, then did you have Stolen Device Protection enabled? If not, they have access to all of your content and can also remove the phone from Activation Lock by just changing your Apple ID password.

If it was locked then your content is safe.

Beware of a common phishing scam: You may get a text or email from “Apple” or “Apple Security” (or sometimes “Police”) saying your phone has been found and to click on a link to see its location. This is NEVER from Apple or from law enforcement; it is from the thief or fence to steal your Apple ID and identity. Delete any such message without responding to it. Apple never gets involved in lost or stolen devices→Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes including phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams

Finally, if you actually could locate it how could that help? Confront the thief? People have been murdered doing that. Ask the police? Unless you live in a very small town police don’t want to get involved with low value thefts that have very little chance of recovery. Your phone is probably already on its way to a repurposing factory in Shenzhen, China.

Thieves are pretty smart (evil, but smart) and they often place a phone in a Faraday Bag, which will block the phone from being tracked either via Wifi of Cellular. The reality is, most stolen phones are never recovered.

See what you can do by reading this link --> If your iPhone or iPad was stolen - Apple Support

Please note that Apple NEVER gets involved in lost or stolen phones. If you get a message that your phone has been found and all you need to do is enter your credentials, the thief is scamming you and hoping you'll give them you log in credentials so they can wipe the phone to sell or use it. DO NOT respond to any such message.

Also, contact your carrier and tell them your phone has been stolen and ask them to blacklist the phone so it can't be used on any network in the future.

Assuming you used a Passcode on the phone and they don't know your Apple Account or Password credentials, no. If you didn't however, have a Passcode on the phone, then it wouldn't have Find My enabled and then yes, they could certainly factory reset it.

Nope. You can watch videos purporting the earth is flat too. Again, you won't see the phone again. I would change my Apple Account Password and contact my carrier to ask them to blacklist the phone. Then I'd go buy a new iPhone.

You can change your Apple Account Password by reading this link --> Change your Apple Account password - Apple Support

Jayden_Larbi wrote:

I just watched videos on YouTube and quite a few people have tutorials on how to reset the phone and bypass activation lock. Some by jail breaking. Is it actually something to worry about

No, you cannot reset the phone to bypass activation lock, because the information that the device is activation locked is stored on Apple’s servers, not on the phone. It actually isn’t anything to worry about. The videos are pretty much fakes.

Can you remove it from your account if you have other Apple devices?

Why would you remove the phone from your account? This would give the thief a green light to reset the phone and set it up as their own.

The thief is hoping that the original owner will remove the phone from their account. Why do exactly what the thief wants?

The thief would not bother with parts as long as he/she could set up the phone as their own very easily.

Even if the phone is activation locked, thieves don't mess with parts. They simply sell the phone to a "fence" and make a few fast bucks.

Brantley_Mur wrote:

ok I didn’t think of that but didn’t Apple add something like serial numbers to their parts so you can’t use them in another phone?

Yes, Apple extended Activation Lock to key iPhone parts.

I believe this was starting with iOS 18, so that as more and more of the iPhone installed base moves to iOS 18 or later, that may start to put a crimp in the "business" of outfits like the "repurposing factory" in Shenzhen, China – and the thieves and fences who supply them.

Apple to expand repair options with support for used genuine parts - Apple Newsroom (April 11, 2024)

"Apple will also extend its popular Activation Lock feature to iPhone parts in order to deter stolen iPhones from being disassembled for parts."

Jayden_Larbi wrote:

I had a password and I had find my enabled

Then NO, they won't be able to reset it at all.

But they WILL fence it for parts on the black market. If they can’t reset it they will simply sell it for parts to shady repair shops.

Can you remove it from your account if you have other Apple devices? You probably won’t get it back. I’d change your password too.

ok I didn’t think of that but didn’t Apple add something like serial numbers to their parts so you can’t use them in another phone?